Question

What is the tetravalency of carbon?

Answer 1

Tetravalency

• One of the characteristic features of carbon is tetravalency.
• Carbon's tetravalent nature allows it to form a large variety of compounds.
• The electronic configuration of carbon is $1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^2$.
• The number of valence electrons in the outermost shell of carbon is 4.
• To attain noble gas configuration carbon makes four bonds with carbon. So, the valency of carbon is four.
• ''Since carbon has a valency of four, it has the ability to bond with four other carbon atoms or atoms of some other mono-valent element.''